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Victor Bailan
The majority of Victor Bailan's life has been burdened by tragedy and repeated humiliations. As such, he grew up with the capacity to endure physical and mental pain to an astounding degree. He learned to hide his emotions and distance himself from family and friends. Experience taught him that people could not be trusted on goodwill alone---he resolved to only trust his judgement. Early Life Victor was born two years after the opening of the Dark Portal to House Bailan, a minor house of Lordaeron nobility. His father was Ulrich Bailan and his mother was a noblewoman of Stratholme named Thera Bartholamew. At the time of his birth, House Bailan was divided into three subgroups. There were the Bailans of Capital City, whom Ulrich and Victor belonged, they served as courtiers in the Menethil court and administrated the duchy of Southmarch. At the time of Victor's birth, this branch's patriarch was his grandfather: Antipater Bailan. The second branch were the Bailans of Alterac whom served as vassals to the Perenoldes. Antipater's brother Selucius had abandoned the family for Alterac when he was offered his own estate----this formed a rift between the Alterac Bailans and the Lordaeron Bailans. This rift would contribute to Victor's later distaste for the company of Alteraceans. The third branch was formed by Victor's uncle, Joshua Bailan, whom abandoned his family in Southmarch in an ambitious pursuit of power--something that when done openly was considered taboo amongst the aristocracy. Joshua and his family lived in Caer Darrow where he would gain power while serving as the provincial governor's spymaster and later treasurer. Victor would be drawn closer to his uncle's branch as he grew older and came to admire Joshua's independence and ambition. Victor was born in Capital City from a complicated pregnancy that would cause his mother's death at his birth. Though Ulrich would later remarry he would vocally accuse Victor of killing her while in the womb--he would later write in his journal that the oldest memory he had was of his father drunkenly raging over Victor's birth. In addition to growing up amidst his father's loathing, he was subject to the torments of four older brothers. He is known to have once recounted how his eldest brother Sullivan had scoffed when Victor at about five years old had said, "I will be strongest knight when I grow up!" According to Victor, Sullivan said he would never be a knight because he would not be able to wear a heavy helm---at which point Sullivan up turned his brass chamber pot over Victor's head and jammed it on his head. Spiders and rodents were often hidden in his bed while he slept---he learned how not to scream or feel shock lest his brothers be rewarded for their cruelty. He quickly learned of rejection when his brothers would only let him join their hunts when he carried their gear and provisions. "By age ten, I learned to suffer in silence with only a blank expression, or perhaps I didn't know I was suffering? I guess at that age I assumed everyone was treated the way I was," Lord Bailan had once told Benjamin Egan. The Second War In Year 6, at only four years old, Victor and his family fled their fief for the safety of Capital City----the Orcish Hordes had landed upon the shores of Lordaeron bearing the ultimate desire for full dominion over humanity. The Duchy of Southmarch was such a crucial province to Lordaeron due to its position along the western slopes of the Alterac Mountains that guarded the route that led to Capital City. When the reports of Lothar and Doomhammer's battle in the Hillsbrad Foothills reached Southmarch the women and children of House Bailan fled their estates for Capital City. Only Lord Ambrose was left with his levied troops to defend the northern route. It was not until Year 7 that Southmarch saw the invasion of the Horde in Doomhammer's push through the Alterac Mountains (after Perenolde's betrayal) to Capital City. Oddly enough, Lord Ambrose's mountain side keep was spared any destruction---despite the Horde passing within a mere mile. This suspicious act would be the downfall of House Bailan. House Bailan's Grand Humiliation In the two years that followed the Second War, the Alliance nations bickered and squabbled over the matter of the orc's internment, reparations to landowners, massive debts, and the fate of Alterac. With so many international matters, King Terenas of Lordaeron could not address internal matters until Year 10. At such time, he found the opinions of his lord unified in hatred against Lord Ambrose and House Bailan. Why had the Horde spared his estates when so many others had been razed? Terenas' first response was that Southmarch's proximity to the border of Alterac made it unclear for Horde soldiers if by attacking would they violate their Warcheif's agreement of non-aggression with Perenolde. Unfortunately, the king's vassals were not convinced. With mounting pressure, King Terenas was forced to concede that Ambrose had made an arrangement with with members of his family in Alterac and Lord Perenolde. Lord Ambrose was tried for treason before an Alliance tribunal. He and House Bailan was found to be guilty thereby all titles and lands were removed. Ambrose was to be exiled---though he would die of illness soon after the verdict. King Terenas would still show some mercy to the Bailan's by granting them the Barony of Darrowdale---a small tract of land located near present day Sorrow Hill. Nevertheless, all of the Bailans felt the humiliation and injustice. Ulrich Bailan only grudgingly accepted the title of Baron as to decline would mean destitution. Victor grew up, silently bearing the rage of his family's reduced status---once he had servants waiting on him, but now he had to them amongst his siblings. It was because of this act that Victor decided he would gain vengeance over the Menethils, that he was an enemy to any loyal to them, and most defining---that he would wait for time to strike. Category:Lord of New Lordaeron Category:Character Biographies Category:People Category:Traitors